Who are the candidates in the UK elections?
As the Brits head to the polls, there are a number of political parties vying for seats in Westminster. But who are the central characters in the "most important election in a generation?"
Boris Johnson
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the favorite to get the keys to Number 10, despite a bumpy election campaign. The Conservative leader avoided debating climate change and had his trustworthiness cast into doubt. His track record on austerity measures was also criticized. His central promise has been to "get Brexit done."
Jeremy Corbyn
Corbyn's Labour party lags behind the Tories in the polls, with many predicting his best hope is for a hung parliament in Thursday's vote. He has been criticized for his handling of anti-Semitism cases that have plagued his party in recent years. He has promised to up national spending and on Brexit has advocated further negotiations and a second referendum on the outcome.
Jo Swinson
The leader of the Liberal Democrats has seen her campaign lose momentum recently. A few weeks ago, she began by making bold predictions of victory, but now she is just hoping to make gains on the last election result. She has tried to present her party as the only true "Remain" voice, but her goal of canceling Brexit has been met with derision in some quarters, as have her environmental policies.
Nicola Sturgeon
As the Scottish National Party leader, Sturgeon's principal aim is for Scottish independence, but she's a big supporter of a second Brexit referendum. Some have described Scotland's electorate as having voter fatigue. Since the start of 2014, Scots have participated in three UK general elections (including Thursday's), two EU votes and one Scottish Parliament vote, plus two referendums.
Arlene Foster
After the Tories failed to get a majority in the 2017 general election, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland became kingmakers. Party head Foster recently admitted to making mistakes during her leadership. The DUP, known for unbending unionism with Great Britain, has argued against a "border in the Irish Sea" — a method proposed to avoid post-Brexit checks on the Irish border.
Adam Price
The Party of Wales, known as Plaid Cymru, won four seats in the UK's last election. Its current leader, Price, would like to see that number go up, particularly since he formed a pact with the Lib Dems and the Greens, fellow pro-EU parties. Each has agreed not to contest more than 60 seats to avoid splitting remain voters. However, a majority of Welsh people voted leave in the 2016 referendum.
Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley
Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry were elected joint leaders of the Green Party of England and Wales in 2018, succeeding Caroline Lucas. The party currently has a solitary seat in the House of Commons. It may struggle to improve on this as other parties are beginning to take environmental issues more seriously. The Green Party supports remaining in the EU.